The Philadelphia Inquirer announced today that the Temple University board of trustees accepted President Jason Wingard’s resignation this Tuesday afternoon. 

Wingard, 51, had been leading the university since July 2021. While there are no substitutes for the position, a group of senior administrators will help. 

“The plan over the next week is to identify interim leadership and then move forward with a search for a new president,” said Mitchell Morgan, chair of the board of trustees. “In the meantime we have a strong core group of senior administrators that we will rely on.”

The resignation comes after a 42-day strike led by Temple University Graduate Student Association (TUGSA) for better working conditions and the death of Temple police sergeant Christopher Fitzgerald while on duty in February. The Temple Association of University Professionals (TAUP), the faculty union, was also preparing to hold a vote of no confidence in Wingard.

According to The Philadelphia Inquirer, university enrollment has fallen 14% since 2019, with deposits for next year down 25% compared to the same time last year. 

Although the many situations leading up to Wingard’s resignation, it was unexpected. He shared a message on Friday planning to intensify efforts for on campus safety and recruitment. 

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